My Roommate is Dead: Tales from the Cadaverous Crypt
by Bandicoot Sauce
Summary: What's it like to live with the Skylander Roller Brawl? Joshua is finding out the hard way. Sequel to 'A Rolling Start'. Rated T for horror themes.
1. A Midnight Snack

**My Roommate is Dead**

Chapter 1: A Midnight Snack

Joshua let out a sigh as he brushed his teeth in the bathroom. He had to admit that this wasn't what he had really expected when his best friend invited him to live with her.

Ever since Josh had arrived in Skylands through whatever means, he hadn't had anyplace to stay. Of course, he was able to stay at Eon's Citadel for a time, but as that place was primarily a base for the Skylanders, he couldn't just freeload there forever; he would surely get in the way sooner or later. Roller Brawl, an Undead Skylander, had put her foot forward as a friend to him since day one and as such, she had invited him to stay at her apartment as her roommate. Joshua had been all for it… until he found out exactly what sort of neighbourhood the cryptic skater called home.

In retrospect, Josh should've expected that an undead being would live in an undead city, but that still didn't prepare him for the Cadaverous Crypt, a run down city that was actually in the Underworld. Overlooked by the Creepy Citadel, this city was not altogether inviting to someone still alive. Gigantic spiders roamed the streets, their enormous webs commonplace and known to ensnare the locals, many of which were also unnerving. Zombies loitered everywhere, bumping into walls and falling over, their heads rolling several feet away. Sometimes one of them would just walk up to one of the occasional candles that dimly lit the walkway and with an ear-splitting shriek, the rotting bandaged creatures would be instantly reduced to a few tattered, smoking rags on the sidewalk. Joshua witnessed this on his first trip down here just this afternoon and the memory still gave him the shivers. Skeletons had stalls set up here and there, offering such ghastly wares as bone necklaces, pickled eyeballs and reaper cloth pieces. Josh hardly dared to risk buying anything without running it past Roller Brawl first.

The apartment building wasn't quite as bad as the streets themselves, but it still took some getting used to. The hallways occasionally had abominable figures wandering around, some of which Roller Brawl would greet as friends. Her actual apartment was both stylish and unkept. To Josh, it looked like something out of Dracula's castle. Cobwebs lined the corners and much of the furniture was dusty. There was a TV made of stone that was powered by magic. Roller Brawl described it as having similar properties to a Portal of Power, except that only images could be sent across the void, not solid matter. A worn red sofa sat across from the TV, a small coffee table between the two. The sofa had clearly experienced a moth infestation, with holes all over the fabric. The table seemed to have more cobwebs on it than anything else in the apartment. A small vase sat in its centre, a single black rose, already wilting, within.

The bedroom had really rubbed Josh up the wrong way. Instead of any sort of bed, two large black coffins took up the space in the centre of the room. That was where the boy tried to draw the line.

"No way." he had said upon entering the room. "I can't sleep in a coffin, Roll. I'm still alive, for crying out loud!" He had tried to say it with anger and disapproval, but in truth, the idea scared him. Sleeping where dead bodies were stored? No, thank you!

Roller Brawl had tried to reassure him. "No, wait. It's okay, Josh. I thought you might react like this, so I had your coffin specifically cleaned and prepared." On that note, she had opened the lid. The inside was indeed clean and had been disinfected, the fabric new and very soft. A pillow and blankets had been neatly arranged within. Creepiness aside, it looked quite comfortable.

Josh still hadn't felt comfortable. "I still don't know…"

"Well, you could always have _my_ coffin." Roller Brawl had responded, her tone suggesting that he definitely did _not_ want hers. She opened it and Josh nearly fainted. It was extremely dusty, full of cobwebs and had moss growing along the edges. Numerous spiders scuttled throughout it. There was even a small snake at the bottom end.

Josh's face went pale. "You really sleep in that?" he asked, his voice unusually high.

"Well, yeah, but for someone like me, this is pure comfort." To prove her point, Roller Brawl lay down in it, still in full derby gear. The spiders swarmed all over her and the snake coiled around her left leg. Josh felt like he was going to be sick.

Fortunately, Roller Brawl's idea of food seemed a bit more normal, at least when geared towards guests. She cooked dinner for the two of them that evening, serving cheese and bacon on toast to Josh and having a nasty looking pie with bones in it herself. He considered asking what animal the cheese had come from, but decided that such a remark was mean and uncalled for. Roller Brawl had been kind enough to give him a place to stay and if he really appreciated that, then he'd have to roll with the punches, as Night Shift would say.

And so, here Josh was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed with considerable apprehension. Even in here, there were unsettling touches. The taps on the sink were in the shape of skulls. For all josh knew, they were real skulls. The bathroom mirror had a huge crack in it and various strange cosmetics lined the sink bench. There was even a hairdryer that was stained with what horribly looked like blood. He shuddered at this and quickly finished up and hurried out.

Roller Brawl had changed into blue pyjamas with little pink bunnies all over them. This actually made Josh smile. The undead skater had undone her braids and now her bubblegum pink hair hung down at shoulder length. In spite of her fangs and deathly pale skin, she looked remarkably cute.

"Nice to see you smiling for a change." she said, looking up at him as he stepped out of the bathroom. He shrugged casually and set his toothbrush aside, getting into his coffin. He left the lid open, of course.

"G'night, Roll."

"Goodnight, Josh." she replied. She climbed into her coffin and closed the lid with a loud creak. The candles supported on the walls went out by themselves. In the darkness, Joshua let out another small sigh. Somehow, he doubted that he'd ever get used to this.

He didn't know how long he slept, but he awoke to see light from the other room. The fourteen year-old crept to the door and peered through the keyhole into the living room.

Roller Brawl was sitting on the couch staring straight ahead. The TV wasn't on or anything - she was just staring into space, drumming her fingers on her knee. She looked very tense. Joshua wondered if she had had a bad nightmare and was about to go and see what was wrong when a knock at the front door sounded. Roll jumped up as though she had been zapped and started to race for the door. She took three hurried steps and stopped, took a deep breath, let it out slowly, licked her lips and walked to the door in a more calm and collected way. She opened it to see a boy of about eleven standing there, looking very uneasy. He tried to say something, but the words failed him. Roll greeted him with a smile and by shaking his hand. "Thank you for coming. Come in. Have a seat."

The boy nodded, stepping inside. He looked pale and terrified. Joshua frowned, puzzled. What was going on?

"Can I get you anything? A glass of milk? It might calm your nerves."

The boy gulped. "I'm scared, Miss Brawl."

"Call me Roll, and don't worry. This won't take long and you'll be fine. Trust me."

"Let's… let's just do it." the boy said, seeming troubled at his own words. Roll nodded and came over to the couch where he sat. "Lie down and relax." she told him. He did as instructed. Roll pulled out what looked like a paddle-pop stick, albeit a slightly thicker one than normal. She moved it towards his mouth. "When I start, bite down on this. It'll stop you from screaming. I don't want my roommate to know about this, if possible."

The boy took the wooden piece in his teeth. Sweat was starting to pour off his forehead. Roller Brawl put her head down near his shoulder. "Okay, are you ready? Here we go in three, two, one."

Joshua couldn't see exactly what Roller Brawl was doing, but the boy's face screwed up in total agony. He bit the paddle-pop stick clean in half and part of it fell out of his mouth, the remaining half still between his teeth. Roll was letting out small satisfied moans all the while. After about fifteen seconds, she moved away and the boy's features relaxed somewhat, but he looked even paler than before. He sat up with a small whimper and began to cry softly. Roll gently shushed him and patted his shoulder, trying to comfort.

"You were so brave." she told him softly. "I'm proud of you." She handed him the glass of milk and he drank deeply while Roll went over to a nearby cabinet and produced a small pile of gold coins. "Here's double what I promised you." she said, placing them in his hand. He mumbled a 'thank you' and stood up, wiping his eyes.

"I'm alright." he gasped weakly. Roller Brawl showed him to the door. "Are you sure?" she asked. He nodded and left the apartment. Roller Brawl then turned and faced the bedroom door for the first time since the endeavour began and Joshua gasped.

There was blood trailing down her chin.

Roller Brawl let out a gasp of her own, having heard Joshua. She started to panic and hurried towards the bedroom, but Josh had already bolted for his coffin the moment he made his mistake. Roll threw the door open and the candles lit themselves as she looked around, terrified. Joshua pretended to have just been woken up, but he realised too late that Roller Brawl was busted anyway, for she still had blood on her face. He looked at it and Roller Brawl felt her chin, panicked and bolted. Joshua got up and went out into the living room to find the skater girl on the couch, crying and hiding her face.

Josh didn't know what to say. He wasn't just horrified; he was _mortified_. His best friend drank blood! It was sick. It was wrong. It was evil. It was…

"Ketchup." he said at last. Roller Brawl stopped sobbing abruptly. "What?" she said, bewildered.

"You've got a little ketchup on your chin." he repeated. He couldn't let her know that he knew. It could destroy their friendship.

"Ketchup?" she repeated in disbelief.

"Roll, there's no need to cry. There's no shame in a midnight snack. Back home, I'd sneak sandwiches all the time myself."

Roll gradually worked her features into a desperate smile. "Yes, ketchup! Of course! I was making a sandwich! Yeah! Like you said! Do you want one?"

"N-no thanks. I'm going back to bed. It's okay, Roll. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

Roller Brawl hiccuped and as Josh turned away, she said, "Wait." He turned back to her. "Josh, I… I…"

She sighed. "I've been lying to you. I'm not a zombie. I'm actually a vampire."

Joshua was silent for a moment, and then he sat down. "I know. I saw the whole thing." he said, putting an arm around her.

"I need blood once a month, so I go around and make deals with- Wait, you're okay with that?" she asked, looking at him hopefully.

"On one condition: from now on, we don't keep secrets from each other. Deal?" he asked.

She smiled. "Deal." With that, she hugged him and he patted her gingerly on the back.


	2. Fun & Games

Chapter 2: Fun & Games

"Your play." Roller Brawl said.

Josh looked down at his cards, uncertain. He didn't like this game much. He couldn't understand the rules. Heck, he couldn't even remember what the game was called. Whatever it was, it was apparently all the rage in the World of the Undead. Roll had invited her friends over for a tournament of said game. Josh and Roller Brawl sat around the dinner table, directly across from each other. The Swap Force Skylanders Rattle Shake and Night Shift sat on either side of him, with T-Bone the skeleton and the Machine Ghost at the left and right sides. On the table was a game board detailed with pop-up tombstones and pictures of blood encrusted daggers. A pair of oddly squelchy dice sat in the middle of the board. Rattle Shake picked them up and rolled them, getting a total of six. He picked up his playing piece and moved six spaces. The space read, _Play your cards._ In fact, it wasn't just written there - a disembodied voice thad made Joshua's blood run cold stated the instruction. Rattle Shake placed a card face up on the table, grinning at Roller Brawl with satisfaction. "Go ahead, snake my day." he taunted confidently.

Roll gave a sly look and placed one of her cards down. "Play denied." She stated smugly, watching Rattle Shake's face fall flat. He stuck out his snake tongue and hissed softly in dissatisfaction. Night Shift took the dice and rolled double sevens. Josh was dumbstruck. Double sevens?! They were only six sided dice numbered 1 through 6!

"CRYPTIC ONSLAUGHT!" everyone except Josh roared, psychotic grins breaking out all around the table. A miniature knight on skeletal horseback appeared out of nowhere on the board, soon accompanied by a black spider and a miniature Griffin. They all started attacking each other brutally, blood and guts actually spilling everywhere. To Josh, it was horrifying.

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" screamed the Skylanders and their associates. The battle went on for several minutes, getting more and more gruesome. Finally, The Griffin knocked the knight down and pulled his helmeted head off, tossing it aside. It landed on Joshua's lap and he shrieked, leaping up and brushing it off. The Griffin then tore out the knight's heart and ate it, causing cheers to erupt around the table.

"That's sixty points for me!" Night Shift declared. "At this rate, you'll be giving me the Key to Nightmorgue within three turns."

"It is possible, I will admit." the Machine Ghost said. "But this tournament is not over yet. Anything can happen between then and now. It's just chance logic."

"Oh, don't take it so seriously. This is fun!" T-Bone declared. "Hey, kid," he said to Joshua, "If you think this is great, you should see the Double Dagger Edition!"

"Oh, don't get me started!" Rattle Shake exclaimed, licking his… well, not his lips, but the principle's the same. "I played that at one of Count Moneybone's parties and…"

"You've played Double Dagger Edition of Slayernauts?!" Roller Brawl exclaimed, practically drooling from excitement. "What was it like?"

"Like everything we've all heard and more. To Slayernauts!" the snake declared, raising his glass of soda.

"TO SLAYERNAUTS!" The Undead group declared. Joshua chuckled uncertainly and raised his glass, too. He really didn't feel comfortable right now. He didn't like this game at all, but he could see that these guys were so serious about it that he didn't think it would bode well to say anything against it.

"Hey, what's up with human features?" Night Shift said, indicating at Josh. "He hasn't really been serious about the game. He's passed on every turn. Bah, you never saw any turn passing in the ol' boxing arenas. If you didn't keep your head in the game, you got punched _in_ the head. Why, I remember this one time…"

"Josh is new to the game." Roller Brawl explained. "He's just uncertain about the rules and all that."

"In some situations, the best way to learn is by doing." the Machine Ghost summarised.

"Well, anyway, it is his turn." Rattle Shake stated. "Come on, Josh, give it a try. Just pick up the dice and snake, rattle and roll! See what I did there?"

"Yeah, go on, kid!" T-Bone declared. "Show 'em how the living do it!"

Cautiously, Josh picked up the dice, immediately aware of how horribly squelchy they were. It felt like he was holding a pair of eyeballs. This game was starting to remind him of _Jumanji_. He rolled eight and moved his playing piece across the board. He landed on a space with something written on it and the sinister voice said, "_Proceed to the Boatman Coin Vault."_ Josh didn't even get to touch his playing piece as it walked across the board by itself. It stepped into a pop-up money safe which, upon closing with the character inside, sank into the board. The entire board then shimmed like water and the entire layout changed to chow the game's logo, crossed swords with blood on them, in the centre surrounded by piles and piles of silver coins.

_"Roll the dice to claim your prize… if you dare."_

Josh gulped at this and rolled again, this time getting ten. Ten silver coins suddenly appeared in his hand, surprising him so much that he nearly dropped them. The other players murmured in interest.

"Awesome! For every three Boatman Coins, you get to draw another card!" Roller Brawl told him. Joshua did so. Each card depicted some sort of undead creature.

Roller Brawl then took the dice and played her turn. _"Play your cards."_ She placed down a card depicting a black raven with glowing red eyes and blood on its talons. Written beneath it was 'Stormbringer Crow'. "I'm challenging you, Joshua. Play one of your cards."

"Joshua has more than five Boatman Coins." Rattle Shake said quietly to T-Bone. "If he play a really good card now…"

"I know! "T-Bone replied. "Isn't this exciting?!"

Not sure what was going to happen, he placed a card down at random. The other players gasped and Roller Brawl actually recoiled in horror. Josh's card showed a musclebound man with one arm, torn black cloth covering half of his face and an enormous axe blade on a chain in his hand. Lying sideways next to his foot was a decapitated head with fangs in its mouth and a frozen look of terror on its face. Under the picture was the words 'Vampire's Bane.'

"A vampire's worst nightmare." Night Shift muttered. Suddenly, Roller Brawl's card floated off the board and hovered above the table. Then it burst into flames, crumbling to ashes, but the ashes didn't fall. They turned from black to gold and contorted into a shape. After a few seconds, a gleaming golden key appeared in mid-air.

_"Take the Key of Nightmorgue, wise card master."_ the disembodied voice said. Josh reached out slowly and closed his hand around it while the other players looked on with awe. _"You have achieved victory, proud warrior. Go forth from this place with your head held high."_

There was a very long silence.

"YEEEAAAHHHHHH!" the Undead players all screamed. Then they started chanting his name. "Josh! Josh! Josh! Josh…!"

"That was incredible!" Roller Brawl exclaimed, racing around the table and giving him a playful but very vigorous Noogie. "You're a natural!"

"I haven't seen good play like that since I beat the Black Hat Gang's leader at Poker." Rattle Shake said, taking off his hat in respect to Joshua.

When the madness was over, Joshua went and drank a big glass of water, feeling a stressful headache coming on. He had bungled his way to victory an a madman's game that he didn't understand and couldn't believe it. He wasn't sure if he wanted to believe it, either.

"That was nuts." he muttered. "Completely nuts." He put his head in his hands. "I don't know if I can put up with much more of this…"


	3. The Law of Attraction

Chapter 3: The Law of Attraction

Joshua needed to get out of the apartment for a while. Roller Brawl had gone out on Skylander business (something about a Goliath Drow drinking one of Pop Fizz's potions) and while some time to himself had been relaxing at first, it had turned boring after a while. So now he stood in the bathroom, brushing his hair to try and make it look a little more neat. His knee bumped against the cupboard under the bathroom sink and it slowly swung open. There was the drain pipe from the sink, of course, but other than that, it was empty except for one thing: a single black spray container.

Josh reached in and pulled it out. The can was completely unmarked, but it looked like it might be some sort of bodyspray. He was cautious. It could be some kind of sickening undead cologne. He sprayed a tiny bit in the air and sniffed. It was fine. A warm, spicy musk that was a welcome change to the musty smell that seemed omnipresent throughout the entire apartment. The teenager sprayed himself liberally with the black container and finished up in the bathroom, soon locking up the apartment with the spare key and heading out onto the streets.

The streets were fairly quiet. Josh only passed about three Rotting Robbies and none of them noticed him, much to his relief. He walked through the main street, passing a number of little stalls that had probably sprung up overnight. One of them caught his eye. A girl who looked just a little older than him was slumped on the counter, her chin resting on her hand. Judging by her pale skin and fangs, she seemed to be another vampire. She looked extremely bored.

"Hey there." Josh said starting to walk over. Only the girl's eyes moved, trailing slightly to the right just enough to have Josh in her sights. "Hey." she responded in a depressed tone. She remained like that until Josh was directly in front of her, then something fluttered in her chest and she stood upright, a smile forming on her face.

"Wow, that was fast. I came over to cheer you up, but you beat me to it." Josh exclaimed, smiling back at her.

"Huh? Oh, that." the girl said. "Sorry. I'm just minding this store for my dad and it's been… well, it's been a real yawn-fest. You cheered me up, though. That was nice of you."

"Really? I not even sure if I did anything." Josh said, surprised.

"I guess you have a lot of charisma." the girl said. She continued to stare at him in silence, smiling. Then she seemed to realise what she was doing. "D'oh! What's the matter with me? I'm Susan."

"Joshua." he responded, shaking her hand. Susan felt _major_ tingles as they touched.

"Joshua…" she repeated. "That's a really great name! I love it!"

_Wow. She's so enthusiastic and cheerful_, Josh thought. _And from out of nothing! I've never had a girl so engaged in conversation! Even Roller Brawl…_ "Thanks, I guess. Your name's… really nice, too."

"REALLY?!" Susan said with way too much excitement. She cleared her throat. "Uh, I mean, really?" She shook her head like a dog clearing its ears of water. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's with me today. You're just so charming, Joshua. You've really made my day."

"You're welcome." _Whoa! I've never had this kind of effect on a girl before! I should probably go before this gets out of hand or something._ "Say, I've gotta go. Nice meeting you." He started to walk away.

"And awesome meeting you!" Susan called after him. Joshua looked back in time to see her blow him a kiss. His heart started beating faster as he rounded the corner. As soon as he was out of sight, Susan frowned.

"What was that about? I blew him a kiss?! What…? Wait, he comes over, somehow manages to chat me up with no effort at all and doesn't even buy anything? I didn't even tell him what I'm selling! Ugh! A chance for a sale and I blew it! Dad's gonna go off his nut. Oh, boy…"

"Wow, that was a little nutty!" Joshua muttered to himself. "Meh. Maybe I've got more charm than I thought. I dunno. I'll ask Roll later. Yeah, right! I can just hear the smart aleck response!" He laughed at the thought.

Speaking of Roller Brawl…

"Hey, Josh, open up! I'm back!" Roll called from outside the apartment. No answer. She pulled her key out of her pocket, unlocked the door and stepped inside, taking off her trademark skull helmet. "Hello? Josh? Hmm. Must've gone out somewhere." Sure enough, she found a note on the coffee table confirming that her roommate had stepped out. She pulled off her metal black claws and tossed them onto the couch. She went into the bathroom to fix her make-up and stopped dead when she saw the black spray can on the bathroom sink.

"Oh, no. He didn't. He couldn't! Oh, shit, I better find him before…" she let out a moan. "It's probably already too late. Time to roll!" she cried, hurrying out the front door.

Meanwhile, Josh had found a small tavern down a side street. The young barmaid, an undead Drow, looked up from polishing a glass as he walked in.

"Okay, stop. Why are bartenders always polishing glasses in your stories? Shouldn't they be serving drinks or something?"

Would you like to tell this story, Joshua? 'Cause you're welcome to… AS A GIRL.

"Okay, sorry! Just thought I'd quote on it, Author! I'll be good!"

That's better. Anyway, Josh approached the bar and the barmaid started to say, "Hey, kid, you have to be over eighteen to…" Something came over her as Josh got close and she smiled.

"Oh, sorry." Josh said. "I'll just go."

"No, wait, it's... fine. I'll make an exception just this once." she said. "Here, I'll get you a soda water. On the house."

Josh was flabbergasted. "Gee, thanks." he said in disbelief. The barmaid served him his drink as two young women strode in. They looked at Josh as they passed.

"Aren't you a little young to be…?" the first one, an imp girl, started. "…So very good looking?" she finished, smiling sweetly at him.

"Oh, Greta, don't tease him!" the second, some sort of demon, said. "Just because he… smells so amazing!"

Josh was starting to get weirded out. "What? What are you ladies talking about?"

"Just you, gorgeous." the one called Greta said, sitting down at his table. "How do you get your teeth so white?" Josh's eyes widened.

"Yeah. Is that a cologne or do you always smell this good?" the demon girl said flirtatiously, playing with a strand of her hair.

Josh chuckled nervously. "Uh, I need to go. I just remembered an appointment with my… with my…" he stammered, starting to get up. "Well, it's important."

"Oh, it can't be _that_ important." Greta said. "Stay a little while. We could have lunch, catch a movie and put our arms around each others shoulders."

The demon girl snorted. "Oh, puh-lease, Greta. Guys these days don't want to do silly things like that."

"Yeah, exactly." Josh said, relieved at her words.

"They just want to get straight to excessive snogging!" she cried reaching over and grabbing the freaked out boy's hand. "Isn't that right, hot lips?"

That did it. Josh took off like lightning, bursting out of the tavern and tearing off up the street.

"Wait! You didn't even tell us your name!" greta called. "I'll bet it's as sexy as you!"

"You never had a chance, Greta! He had the hots for _me_. He probably wanted my lips more than I wanted his."

"Get real, girls." the barmaid said. "Guys prefer providers of alcohol, like me!"

"Is that a fact?"

"Yeah, maybe it is!"

"Okay, put 'em up!"

"Save some for me, Greta!"

_Whack! Pow! Wham! Crack! Crash! Bam! Smash!_

"Is that the best you can do?!"

"No, but you're ugly enough without a black eye!"

Josh ran around the corner, crashing straight into another girl. "Oof! Sorry!"

"Why don't you watch where you're…" the girl started angrily. "…putting that irresistible charm of yours, sweetie?" she finished, wrapping her arms around him and slamming her lips against his. Josh wrenched himself from her grasp and raced off again. "What the hell is going on?" he cried. "Why won't all these girls leave me alone? I can't possibly be that attractive! Roller Brawl's never like this! She wasn't even like this when I saved her from Kaos! Why-?"

It was as if a light had clicked on in his brain. He had said the magic words. Roller Brawl had never been like this around him. This madness had only started today. Something must've happened to-

"Josh! Over here!"

Josh saw Roller Brawl skating along the path ahead of him. Relief spread over his face. "Finally, someone normal!" he shrieked gleefully as he hurried towards her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Stop! STOP!" Roller Brawl yelled when he was about ten feet away. Josh stopped.

"What's the matter, Roll?" he called.

"Josh, before you come any closer, did you, and tell me the truth, did you use the bodyspray under my bathroom sink?"

"Well, yes. Why, is that bad?"

Roller Brawl slapped a hand to her forehead. "Josh, that wasn't ordinary deodorant; that was a magical bodyspray that makes the user irresistible to the opposite sex!"

"You're joking, right?"

"No, and if you come near me, I'll become hopelessly obsessed with you, too!"

"Then what am I supposed to do? I can't avoid girls forever!"

"Head back to the apartment! Get straight into the shower fully clothed! I'll go on ahead and handle the rest! Just give me a head start!"

And so, Josh hit the shower, lavishly shampooing his hair and scrubbing his body more vigorously than he'd ever done in his life.

"Do you think it's okay for me to come out now?" he called after about an hour, the third lather of shower gel still on his shoulders.

"Yeah, you should be fine by now." Roll called. "I've got some of your dry clothes out here."

Josh changed his clothes and walked out into the living room. Roller Brawl handed him a purple spray can.

"This should cover up any of the fragrance that might remain." she told him. "Don't worry, it's ordinary bodyspray."

Josh looked at the label. "But this is a girl's bodyspray. It even says 'Girl' on the label in huge letters."

"Okay, fine. Give it here." Roll said. She took it back and immediately started spraying it all over him.

"Hey-!" he cried out in protest.

"We don't have a choice, Josh. We need to be sure."

"Yeah, well, where did you even get that unlabelled bodyspray, anyway? It doesn't sound like something that's above board. I mean, you can't just- WILL YOU STOP SPRAYING ME WITH THAT ALREADY? I NOW SMELL MORE LIKE A GIRL THAN YOU DO!"

Roll stopped, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "You didn't even need it. The smell of the other one was long gone by the time you were out of the shower. I just did it to annoy you. It would've been so much funnier if you had willingly sprayed it on yourself, though! Ha ha!"

"Very funny." Josh said sarcastically. "Anyway, why do you have something so troublesome in your bathroom cupboard?"

"I confiscated it from a shady character running a black market during my very first mission as a Skylander. We find all sorts of illegal and dangerous items here and there. It all goes to the citadel to be sealed in the Chamber of Forbidden Artefacts."

"Then why isn't it there? Why do you have it?"

"I was young, headstrong and determined to prove myself. I volunteered to take responsibility for it. I keep it safe and as a sort of sentimental trophy of my first big success."

"So you just keep it in your bathroom with all your other cosmetics and you've never used it for yourself?"

"No. Master Eon said it was too dangerous, too easily misused. I vowed to keep it from falling into the wrong hands."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Oh, come on, Roll. You can't tell me that that you've never at least _considered_-"

"I used it once!" she cried, exasperated. "I admit it. I used it once and for all the wrong reasons. I used it once and… I've regretted it everyday since."

She sighed and turned away, staring out the cobweb covered window.

"It's no secret that I was once in a relationship with Kaos." she said quietly. "When my overprotective brothers tried to put a stop to it, he captured them and sealed them away who-knows-where, and I turned against him like all Skylanders should. That's not the whole story, however."

Joshua looked down at his shoes. "Does the spray make up the rest of the story?"

"Yes." she replied, pacing back and forth in front of the window.

"It was the final tournament of the roller derby championship. Before the main event started, I noticed Kaos sitting in the top box, oversized beverage in his hand, Glumshanks at his side. As I looked at that bald-headed creep, I got my big idea. Like I said, I was young and determined to prove myself, but I was also foolish. Right there and then, I devised a plan that I believed could completely turn the tides against Kaos, perhaps undermining him forever. As soon as the match was over, instead of hitting the showers, I snuck out back and doused myself in the attraction spray. I figured that if Kaos and I could get close, I could get him to tell me anything out of blind loving trust. I could go to the Skylanders with info on every plan, every scheme to take over Skylands. I could be their woman on the inside."

"What happened?"

"My brothers found out about our 'relationship'. They didn't know that it was all a sham. They thought that I was really in love with that creep. When they threatened to tear us apart, Kaos had them locked away and hidden. When I found out what he had done, I knew that it was my fault. I dumped him instantly, but nothing could change the fact that I was responsible for his actions. My brothers were lost. To this day, I'm still searching for them. They might even be dead. I once kept the spray as a victory trophy, but now it represents my worst failure ever. You might think I should just turn it in to the citadel, but it sits in that cupboard to remind me that love is not a toy. It's not something you can play with or control. It's dangerous, and like all things dangerous, you'll always get someone hurt if you fool around with it. I played with love and my brothers payed the price."

She looked at Josh. "It seems you nearly payed the price for using it, too. Goodness knows what those girls might've done to you if you'd given them the chance. That bodyspray is dangerous in _any_ hands, let alone the wrong ones. It must never again leave that cupboard, Joshua. Don't ever use it, don't ever move it, don't ever tell anyone about it-"

"And don't you _ever_ blame yourself again." Josh declared firmly. "You can't blame yourself for what Kaos did. He probably would've locked them away anyway, along with others you cared about. He's an evil little git. You may have done the wrong thing, but you did it for all the right reasons. You must've foiled a lot of plans before your scheme derailed. The Skylanders might not have been able to thwart his plans without you there to guide them through it, and somehow I don't think your brothers would want their little sis to dwell on a mistake anyone could've made with that spray. If you hadn't acquired that spray and made a mistake with it, someone else would have. I think-"

Roller Brawl leaned forward and silenced him with a kiss.

"That girl wasn't wrong, Josh. You _do_ have charisma. You care, and that is why you're the greatest friend anyone could ever have."

Joshua smiled.

**I'll admit that this chapter was a bit silly and predictable, but I think it turned out alright in the end. In future chapters, I'll try to include more Skylanders and focus on them a bit more. Stay tuned!**


	4. Oh, Brother

Chapter 4: Oh, Brother

Kaos looked around the sitting room, the scene before him apalling.

"What the…? What is this?" he shrieked, staring at the Greebles sitting on the floor on a picnic blanket, eating Kaos' favourite chicken drumsticks and drinking his fortified wine, sloshing the red liquid all over the carpet. Some of them were staggering around drunkenly, singing merrily.

"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!" the evil Portal Master screamed. "Get out of my sitting room! This is practically anarchy! Treachery! Treason! Get out of here right now and back to work before I introduce you to your DOOOOOM!"

"Oh, Kaos, it's always 'doom' with you." said a voice. He turned to see a woman in a black cape striding gracefully into the room. "You don't know how to have any fun. Lighten up."

"Mother." Kaos greeted curtly, the word rolling off his tongue like dung. "How nice of you to drop in. Completely unannounced. For the third time this week."

"Well, this _is_ my castle." she replied. "And to that extent, those are _my_ minions you're yelling at."

"Excuse me?" Kaos said, staring at her like she was mad. "I hired them, so they're MY glorious minions!"

"And who gave you an allowance so you could hire them from the _Minions Monthly_ catalogue?"

Kaos bit his lip. "That's… a mere formality."

His mother raised an eyebrow. "Is that a fact? In any case, they're entitled to a little time off. There is no fun in being evil if you can't stop to enjoy the little things."

"It's not about fun, Mother - It's about taking over Skylands and especially CRUSHING those MISERABLE Skylosers! They are the thorn in my side! A thorn like that of a desert tree. Oh, those trees are always plotting against me. Their leafy conspiracy won't get the best of me…"

Kaos' Mother rolled her eyes. Once her son started rambling like this, it was best to just ignore it.

Right then, Glumshanks came running in, out of breath and in a panic.

"Master!" he gasped, collapsing at Kaos' feet and breathing heavily on his shoes, much to the Portal Master's revulsion. "One of the prisoners has escaped!"

"So? Don't bother me with trivialities, fool! Send out a squadron of Greebles who aren't drunk to apprehend them! It's not Portal science!"

"No, you don't understand, Master. It's one of the all important prisoners! The ones you said mustn't escape at all costs!"

"You mean…?" Kaos said, his face darkening. He howled in dismay. "NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! How are we supposed to catch someone so very elusive? He'll go straight to _her_ and from there, it will only get bad! We have to think of something! Scratch that! _I_ have to think of something! If they reunite and find the other prisoners… UPRISING! GLORIOUSLY HORRIBLE UPRISING! We have to-!"

Kaos' Mother let out a long, loud groan.

"Once again, Kaos, you can't get anything right where it counts. I already knew of the escape and immediately hired someone to help."

"With all due respect, Mother - and very little is due - this is no job for some amateur."

"Hmm. Would you call _this_ amateur?"

The double doors swung open. In the shadow of the doorway, an enormous musclebound figure stood, an axe blade swinging on a chain in his hand.

Kaos' eyes widened. "Is that…? But how did you…?"

"I have a friend skilled in Necromancy." she replied. "He owed me a favour. You know how it is."

"Yes. Oh, yes! Hahaha! You have excellent taste, Mother! Now, we shall strike a blow for evil in Skylands and put the past behind us once and for all! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

_Meanwhile…_

Roller Brawl smiled as she watched Josh and Spyro tossing a beach ball back and forth, both of them laughing like idiots. It was good to see her roommate happy for a change.

It was a beautiful day at the beach near the Core of Light. Gill Grunt and Chill were playing water polo in the shallows while Cynder glided over the clear surface, the tip of her wing touching the water. Jet-Vac and Magna Charge were sitting on a rock, enjoying a game of Skystones. Freeze Blade was completely showing off, gracefully skating across the surface of the ocean water like was Christ reborn. He even started doing some sort of breakdance. Night Shift just rolled his eyes as he looked up from his newspaper and saw the Water Skylander making a display of himself. Slam-Bam was making ice sculptures on one side of the beach, probably trying to gain some of the attention Freeze Blade was getting. Trigger Happy had climbed to the highest point of a rocky outcropping and was just firing off his gold machine gun, blasting coins into the sky for fun, cackling madly, his long tongue hanging way out of his mouth. Flameslinger had taken to shooting down every coin before someone got hurt. Blindfolded and all, his fire arrows never missed a target. flaming coins fell neatly into a small rock pool and some of the younger, cheekier Skylanders were pocketing them when no one was looking. Right in front of the door leading to the Cadaverous Crypt, Stealth Elf and Roller Brawl were stretched out on beach towels in their undergarments, trying to work up a tan.

"I'm telling you, Roll, it's impossible for a vampire to get a really good tan. They're just naturally pale." Stealth said.

"I'll keep trying my luck." Roll replied, applying more sunblock to her back. "Look at Josh over there. Look at that smile. Look at him. Priceless."

Spyro had been given a particularly sugary energy drink and the usually sophisticated dragon had gone completely hyper. He had playfully tackled Joshua to the ground and was now trying to bury him in the sand up to his neck, but Josh had somehow gotten hold of a water pistol and was keeping Spyro occupied with a constant soaking to the face. They were laughing like silly little children and when Spyro suddenly took off, flying upside down with a really goofy look on his face, Josh was just doubled over with mirth.

"It was good of you to bring him up here." Stealth said. "From what you told me, he really needed this."

"I had to, anyway. Another couple of days down there and he would've adapted and become undead."

"Wow, really? Scary. None of that for me, Roll. They don't call me a Life Skylander because I'm young and skilled."

"My, aren't we full of ourselves all of a sudden!" Roll joked.

Josh pulled himself out of the sand, still chuckling. "Hey, Josh, over here!" Pop Fizz called. He rummaged through a blue cooler full of ice and threw a cold drink to the young human.

"Thanks." Josh said gratefully, popping the lid and downing a large mouthful of cool lemonade. Ignitor stood nearby, savouring a special kerosene-filled soft drink intended for the Fire Skylanders.

"Ah, young master Joshua! it it good to see thou!" He called, his armour rattling as he walked over.

"Boy, this is some beach party, huh?" Pop Fizz quoted, grinning, a green potion vial in his hand. "Did you see Chill's bathing suit? Wowee!"

"Now, if you fellas wanna talk about 'wowee', you should've seen Cali's dive into the water." Captain Flynn said, walking up to them. "It was almost as impressive as me. Almost. BOOM!"

"Yeah, I dived off the outcropping because Flynn was too scared to try it himself." Cail said as she walked up, a towel draped around her shoulders.

"Hey, I like flying, not falling, okay?" Flynn insisted. "I could've done it, but, uh… I wasn't wearing sunblock."

"What has-eth that got to do with anything?" Ignitor asked.

"Uh… Well, that's… Oh, hey look, here comes Hugo! Hey there, Hugo! Still carrying that book around, I see. What is it, _Everything Wrong With Sheep in Just Six Pages_?" he teased.

"Very funny, Flynn." Hugo said, rolling his eyes. "It's about the history of Arkeyan warfare, actually. It was written by Professor P. Grungally and it-"

"Fascinating. Does it say anything about their copters? Those things ride smooth."

"Oh, boy." Cali said. "Once these two get in a conversation about books and flying, they'll just go on and on. How are you, Josh? I haven't seen you in a while."

"I'm good." he said, shrugging casually. "It's been pretty good living with Roller Brawl. She knows how to keep things… interesting.

"Did she teach you about that Slayernauts board game? I played that with her once. Had nightmares for the next three nights."

"Yeah. I know, it's really… different, isn't it? I actually managed to win on my first try out of sheer luck. I still can't get my head around it."

"Did you win or did she let you win?" Pop Fizz said teasingly.

"What do you mean?"

"Let me put it this way: when she invited you to stay with her, did you say 'Yes' or 'Oh, yeah!'?"

"I… I don't-"

"Let me put it another way: _Joshua and Roller Brawl, sitting in a tree-_"

"WHAT?! No! No way! We're not… we're not…"

"Ignore-eth him." Ignitor said. "Thee thinks he's amusing, but he is not."

"I think this story has lost track of its horror theme." Josh muttered to no one in particular.

Later, Joshua returned to the apartment alone, exhausted from the beach party and wanting to relax for a bit. He stepped into the bedroom and was in there for about five seconds before unfamiliar hands grabbed him and slammed him against the wall. His attacker was a teenager of about sixteen with messy black hair, red eyes and fangs. His clothes were torn and tattered. He smelt terrible even for someone undead.

"Where is she?!" he demanded, his face inches from Josh's. The terrified boy could see every detail of the vampire's fangs, from the chip in the left one to the droplet of blood on the right. "ANSWER ME!"

"Wh-wh-wha…? What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Portal Master! Why else would a human break into an undead girl's apartment? Do you work for Kaos, or are you trying to forward your own selfish goals?"

"I… I'm not a Portal Master! I don't know what you're on about! I… I… I will obey." Joshua said in a dull voice as the vampire's eyes glowed gold, the effects of hypnosis washing over him. His face went slack and his arms fell to his sides. He stood staring straight ahead, seeing nothing, hearing nothing other than the vampire's words.

"You will listen carefully and obey." the vampire said clearly.

"I will listen carefully and obey."

"You will remain motionless while I tie you up with ropes."

"I will remain motionless while you tie me up with ropes."

"YOU WILL GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY ROOMMATE, YOU CREEP!" Roller Brawl declared, suddenly in the doorway. She lunged at the intruder but stopped dead as he turned to look at her. Her eyes filled with tears and she collided with him in a tight hug.

"Damien! You're alive! YOU'RE ALIVE! Figuratively speaking, of course, but…" anything else she said was drowned out by joyful sobs as she cried into the vampire's chest. He chuckled awkwardly.

"Yes, Roller, it's me. I'm fine." he said, returning her hug. "I can't tell you how much I… Wait, did you say that this kid is your roommate?"

_Shortly…_

"So, this is one of your brothers?" Josh asked.

"Yep," Roll said, smiling. "I haven't seen him for about five years."

"Yeah, it was rough, I tell ya." Damien Brawl said, reaching for a bread roll to go with the rancid soup his sister had served him. "I thought I'd never escape, but the other night, the Greeble guard fell asleep against my cage. I slipped the key from his pocket, freed myself and was on the run. I made my way here, found your roommate here, thought he might be some sort of troublemaker and, well, you know the rest. Sorry about that, Jamie."

"Joshua." he corrected him. "You freaked me out a little, but I guess I can put it behind me."

Damien nodded in approval. "I always did admire a good sport." he said with his mouth full. "I daresay you've got yourself a decent friend here, Roller. A half-decent one is hard to find. Josh, I'll admit that myself and my brothers have always been somewhat overprotective of little Roller Brawl over there, and I'd like to thank you for not taking advantage of her."

"'Little Roller Brawl'?" Roll repeated, raising her eyebrows."

"Well, of course I wouldn't." Josh said firmly. "I see a girl as a girl, not as an object."

A pair of envelopes were then slid under the door. Roll picked them up and read the address on each.

"Wow, that was quick. You've got one already, Damien." she said, handing his letter to him. She opened hers and pulled out what looked like a business card. She stared at it wide-eyed for a few seconds and then screamed in absolute horror, letting it fall to the floor. The card was blank except for a symbol: a sideways figure eight with a pair of bat wings. Damien nearly choked at the site of it and spat out bread. "No!" he cried. "NO!"

"What's wrong?" Joshua asked.

"I've… I've been marked for death!" Roll said, her face even whiter than usual. "That's the symbol of the Vampire's Bane!"

"The…? You mean, that thing from the board game?"

"Yes. He's tracks down and slays vampires for a living. Once he decides to slay you, you're dead meat!" she wailed.

"He'll have to go through me first!" declared Damien, tearing open his letter savagely. He… He… He fully intends to go through me, apparently." he muttered, looking at his own card. "Oh, boy."

Elsewhere, a muscular figure with one arm ran his finger across the blade of his axe, having just sharpened the weapon. He swung the chain it was on and took off the head of a wooden training dummy. He nodded curtly, satisfied with his weapon's effectiveness. With that, he stepped out of his dilapidated cabin, his face half hidden by black cloth.

"Eight thousand credits to slay two vampires." he said to himself. "The money is appreciated, but it's eight thousand more than a necessary excuse to take an undead life…"

**This just got really interesting, didn't it? Stay tuned for the cataclysmic impending double chapter, 'The Bane of Brawl'!**


	5. The Bane of Brawl Part 1

Chapter 5: The Bane of Brawl Part 1

Joshua stepped up to the enormous stone basin, gazing at the swirling colours within. He looked at Roller Brawl & Damien uncertainly.

"Are you sure I have to be the one to do this?" he asked. "I don't think I have _any_ magic, let alone magic that powerful."

Every living thing in Skylands has magic flowing through them, Josh." Roller Brawl told him. "Skylanders can't operate or even activate Portals themselves. You might not be a Portal Master, so to speak, but you should be able to make contact with one."

"Well, maybe Damien would be better at-"

"I wouldn't." Damien said, his arms folded. "All that time I spent trapped in a cage, hidden away in darkness, really took it's toll on me. It'll be months before I can fully channel my magic again. You, on the other hand, are young, healthy and, if I may say so, have very clean, rich blood."

Josh stared at him.

"What? I'm a vampire. I'm a natural expert on blood. I could tell just by looking at your skin."

"Just do it the way we told you, Josh." Roll told him reassuringly. "I'm sure you'll achieve… something."

Not very convinced, Josh got down on one knee and placed his hand on one of the faintly glowing symbols on the Portal of Power, closed his eyes and focused.

"I… I can feel it." he said after a few moments. "You were right. It's like there's something flowing through me. I feel like it wants me to guide it." He cleared his throat. _"I seek the knowledge and wisdom of Portal Masters past. Please heed my call and aid me in my hour of need… Master Eon."_

The glowing energy in the basin shimmered, starting to swirl around faster. It got brighter, so bright that the two vampires had to shield their eyes. When the glow faded, a large, transparent head hovered in the light of the Portal, viking helmet glinting in the sunlight, luxuriant beard blowing gently in the breeze.

"By the ancients, he did it." Roller Brawl whispered in awe.

"First of all, let me say that that was quite a fine summoning. I haven't seen such natural control over Portal magic in many years. I daresay you have the makings of a great Portal Master, young man. Yes, I am most assuredly Eon, Portal Master of old. How may I assist you?"

"I… I did it." Joshua said quietly before yelling, "I did it! YAHOO! Oh, yeah! It's my birthday! It's my birthday!"

Eon raised an eyebrow. Damien facepalmed, the slapping sound catching the attention of the wise Portal Master. He turned and beamed at the sight of the Skylander and co.

"Ah, young Roller Brawl! How nice to see you! And I see you've reunited with one of your dear brothers!"

Damien was surprised. "You know who I am, Great One?" he asked.

"I know the identity of many who I have yet to meet face to face. Being a Portal Master has its advantages. As for your young friend over here, however, I'm afraid I can't recall sensing his presence in Skylands. At least, not for very long, anyway."

Josh was still dancing around, going, "It's my birthday! It's my-!" he stopped abruptly, suddenly aware that he was making a complete fool of himself in front of one of the most revered beings in all of Skylands. He straightened up and cleared his throat. "Oh, uh, sorry." he said, chuckling nervously. He sank into a respectful bow. "It is an honour to meet you at last, sir. The Skylanders always speak very highly of you. My name is Joshua, and I have summoned you in the hopes of preventing something terrible from happening." he paused uncertainly. "If I may, I'd like to ask you a question." he added awkwardly, not sure how to proceed in the face of such an important figure. Roller Brawl stifled a chuckle.

"By all means, young Joshua. Fire away."

"Sir, what can you tell us about a being called the Vampire's Bane?"

Eon's warm smile faded. "Let me make sure I heard you correctly. You did say the Vampire's Bane, did you not?"

"Uh, yes, sir. Should I not have?"

Eon closed his eyes for a minute, looking strained. "I have long feared that this day would come. I had hoped that that creature had become nothing more than forgotten legend and lore, but…" he sighed, opening his eyes. "The Vampire's Bane is a being that can be conjured by means of advanced Necromancy or 'death magic' as it is sometimes known. It has not been seen in Skylands for more than five hundred years. Amongst evil kings, dark Portal Masters and the Lord of the Undead of that time, it was a popular bounty hunter for hire, specialising solely in the slaying of vampires. Once it had decided to take a vampire's life, for lack of a better way to define an undead being's conscious existence, there was virtually nothing anyone could do about it. The vampire or vampires in question would be decapitated and their heads delivered to the hiring party in exchange for a bounty of gold."

"That's horrible!" Joshua exclaimed. "Roller Brawl has been targeted and I couldn't think of anyone less deserving of something like that! Who would even want her…?"

A dark look of rage passed over his face. "Kaos." he growled. "Who else?" He gritted his teeth. "Why would anyone even create an undead being just to slay another undead being, anyway? It's… It's discrimination!"

"It wasn't created by Kaos. He only summoned it." Damien said quietly. "It wasn't created with evil intentions, was it, great Portal Master?"

Eon's face darkened as he stared at Damien, but he continued calmly. "True. The Vampire's Bane was created by the Ancient Elementals with the aid of a great Portal Master in order to protect the citizens of Skylands. This was a dark time, you understand. Vampires, evil ones in particular, had taken to preying on children, sneaking into their bedrooms at night and draining portions of their blood to sustain themselves. Some would even go so far as to bite victims in crucial places, killing them or turning them into vampires, be it out of spite or simply to prevent them from alerting their parents. Of course, not all of these attackers were evil. Some were just humble vampires in search of their next meal. Such vampires respected their prey, treating them as equals, negotiating with them, perhaps even compensating them for the pain."

Joshua remembered how Roller Brawl had tended to that young donor during his first night at her place, how the Skylander had paid him, reassured him, comforted him.

"The Vampire's Bane was originally created for the purpose of fending off evil vampires and protecting kids. Concerned parents hired it to stand guard outside the child's bedroom door, ready to come bursting in at the tiniest noise that sounded out of place. There was an unseen flaw, however: the Vampire's Bane didn't discriminate between a vampire with evil intentions or one with honest intentions. It was not uncommon to hear of good hearted vampires having their heads chopped off right in the middle of presenting children with tokens of gratitude or persuasion. Some vampires would even succeed in befriending children, not seeking blood at all, only wishing to try and spread a good name for vampire kind, and their reward for their efforts would be death."

Josh looked at the ground. It was so not fair.

"At first, vampires were outraged. Good vampire folk had lost friends and relatives, and surviving associates went to Portal Masters with complaints and grief, but Portal Masters efforts to destroy the Vampires Bane and put a stop to what had ultimately been a mistake failed. The creature had been made and could not be simply unmade. It continued to kill, soon not even seeking reward, only a task. Villains took advantage of this to unleash murder and mayhem or to bully undead folk into serving them as followers. Before long, the entire vampire population was absolutely terrified, the Vampire's Bane a figure of utmost nightmare for them. Some good vampire citizens were so terribly frightened for the safety of themselves and their peers, that they started hiring the Skylanders to protect _them_, serving as a counter measure. Not even the Skylanders could actually defeat this monster, however. When it came for a vampire, the hired Skylanders would inform them to run for cover while they clashed with the creature, delaying it while the vampires got away. Eventually it got so bad that all of Skylands was in a state of chaos from which it may never have recovered, with vampires going to humans begging to make truces or directly travelling to Skylander patrolled territory to get default protection without going through the usual channels. Finally, a miracle happened."

"A miracle?" Joshua repeated.

"Yes, and at first it seemed like another potential catastrophe. A clan of vampires who had been marked for death came to my Citadel seeking protection. I was wary, but I agreed, not wanting them to think that I didn't care for their safety. I did most certainly care, but their presence would draw the Vampire's Bane directly to the location of the Core of Light. I feared that the monster might be able to destroy it, and do so in order to reach its quarry, but the Vampire's Bane is like all undead creatures in that it can only withstand so much light. The pure magic of the Core's beacon weakened it as it approached, though not by much. Nevertheless, the Skylanders, with the aid of some of the braver vampires, attacked and, after a long harsh battle, finally subdued the creature. Some of the Vampire's Bane's legendary blows actually knocked some of the fighters - both Skylander and vampire - far away from Skylands, never to be seen again. These lost souls were honoured as heroes and all of them regarded as a revered group of Skylanders known as… the Crypt Keepers, to commend their fight for the Undead's right to exist. The Vampire's Bane was sealed away by the most powerful sorcerers of both light and dark and the mere mention of its name outlawed, lest evil find a way to bring it back."

"But it _is_ back, Master Eon." Roller Brawl said. "Is there no way to stop it?"

"Not that I am aware of, I'm afraid." Eon said grimly. "It might be possible to bargain with it, but it's not too likely to work. The one thing that the Vampire's Bane cares about more than anything else is its purpose. That's all I know about the creature. I am sorry, my young friends, but it would seem that there is nothing anyone can do. Again, I am deeply sorry. It is never easy to see a Skylander fall."

WIth a sad look, the transparent head faded away and the Portal returned to its usual dull glow.

"So, is that it?" Joshua asked, while Roll and Damien put their arms around each other, trying to comfort one another. "Is this… the end of my best friend and her brother?"

**I'm really proud of this chapter. If anyone associated with Activision is reading, there's your next game idea served to you on a silver platter: **_Skylanders: Crypt Keepers_**. Not too shabby, eh? Anyway, keep an eye out for the next chapter and keep sending me those reviews. I love to hear what you think of my stories!**


	6. The Bane of Brawl Part 2

Chapter 6: The Bane of Brawl Part 2

"This is it." Roller Brawl said, straightening her helmet.

"This is it." Joshua stated, flexing his claws. He had changed into the derby gear he had once used to rescue Roller Brawl from Kaos.

"Yep. This is it." Damien said, cracking his knuckles. "If we go down, we'll go down fighting."

"Yeah, this is it, alright!" declared Pop Fizz, not taking his eyes off the board game. He and Rattle Shake were playing Slayernauts: Double Dagger Edition. Rattle Shake had borrowed it from Count Moneybone.

"Do you guys mind?!" Roller Brawl exclaimed, annoyed. "We're probably going to die and you're just sitting there playing games? And using someone's grave as a table, no less!"

They were in a graveyard, awaiting the arrival of the Vampire's Bane. They had decided that if they had any hope of fighting the creature, they would need some room to manoeuvre about in.

"Sorry! We're just a bit bored from the waiting." Pop Fizz replied, taking a sip of his potion, causing him to change into his berserker form. "The mere thought of the impending battle is soda-licious!" He then turned back to normal. "Plus, this board game is pretty cool, too."

Roller Brawl rolled her eyes. "Whatever. If you're not going to help…"

"We didn't say that." Rattle shake muttered."

"Here he comes!" Joshua cried, looking through a pair of binoculars. Sure enough, the Vampire's Bane stomped through the cemetery gates, boots crunching on the path. He approached them and stopped.

"My task is set." he stated in his deep, evil voice. "The vampire shall die."

"Good luck with that. Get ready to roll!" Josh declared.

"Hey, that's _my_ line!" Roll exclaimed.

"Never mind. Lets just fight!" Damien stated proudly. On that note, the Skylander and her roommate leapt at the monster, claws outstretched. The Vampire's Bane swung his axe blade chain over his head and thrust it at Joshua, who feinted and dashed behind the foe. The Skylanders had taught him well. Roller Brawl head-butted the slayer right in the chest. He didn't even seem to notice, only lashing out with a kick that knocked the wind out of the Skylander. Pop Fizz saw this as his cue and bounded over, somehow managing to hit Rattle Shake in the head with his bottle as he leapt up. The snake's head hit the table/grave and he was knocked out. Pop Fizz produced three different coloured potions from his backpack and downed them all at once, transforming into a beast twice as big and ugly as the usual. He leapt this way and that, jumping around the Vampire's Bane, pulling sinister faces, occasionally slashing with claws only to be blocked repeatedly. His fire breath had no impact at all.

"Get him guys!" Damien called from somewhere ten feet away, grinning madly. He picked up a rock and threw it. It wasn't even a rock, really. It was a pebble. Josh felt like facepalming as the pebble bounced uselessly off the Vampire's Bane's weapon. It was pathetic. It was as though Damien wasn't even trying.

Come to think of it, Damien had been acting a little odd all day. He had seemed almost too eager to fight, like he knew that he was going to win or something. And now, here he was, hardly contributing to the fight at all. What was the matter with him?

Roller Brawl was suddenly sent flying back, screaming, to collide with her brother.

"Hey! watch it, will ya?" he exclaimed, as though he didn't care that the Skylander had just crashed through the air. "Keep the heat on him, not me!"

"Damien, what's the matter with you?" she cried, shocked as his rude uncaring tone. "Why aren't you helping us defeat him?"

"But I am! I'm just… trying to work out a strategy. That's all."

"Strategy? We have a strategy! We planned this together! We…" Roller Brawl trailed off. Something was wrong. Josh could sense it, too. He turned to look at the pair. Damien looked nervous. Uptight. He frowned and dashed over.

"What's going on, guys?" he asked, worried. "We need to focus or that thing will-"

"Oh shut up, you stupid boy!" Damien growled. "This was never about you! This is about money! It's your own fault you got yourself involved! You're just… Oh, forget it." The vampire boy suddenly blasted purple energy from his hands and magical chains surrounded Josh, ensnaring him. The second he was bound, he dropped to the ground, snoring loudly and in a deep sleep. Damien then, in a burst of shadow, transformed into-

"An Undead Spell Punk?!" Roll cried in disbelief. "But how…? How…?"

"That's right, you fool!" the Spell Punk snarled. "I was hired by Kaos' Mother to summon the Vampire's bane from the dead to get rid of you and another who had escaped from Kaos' clutches! At first, it seemed that it had been one of your worthless brothers who had escaped, but it was actually a low priority prisoner. That Glumshanks is an idiot, I must say! But it gave me an idea. I could pose as your brother to bait the trap and ensure that, for once, a Skylander would fall in the name of Kaos! And that I got my money from him, of course. Also, I'm sure your little friend there would look nice with his head on a pike, you stupid, trusting girl!"

"Roller Brawl looked horrified and hurt. She had thought that one of her brothers had finally escaped, that there was hope for her and now here she was, likely soon to die at the hand of one of the most dangerous and unstoppable-

"You… you unleashed an old nightmare on Skylands just to make a quick buck?" she asked, her hurt turning to anger. "You would threaten vampires everywhere just for another discount spell book?! You've doomed Skylands to another age of absolute turmoil, impersonated my brother _and_ attacked my best friend? You… You…!"

"Yes, you Skyfreak! Has it sunken in yet, or are you so thick that-?"

"YOU!" Roller Brawl snarled, leaping at him and tackling him to the ground, her face a mask of viciousness. The Spell Punk cried out in surprise.

"This is for all of Skylands." the vampire girl hissed in her most dangerous voice, her fangs extending to twice their normal length and glowing with purple energy. "And for my brothers, you SCUM!"

The Spell Punk screamed like no other living thing had screamed before as Roller Brawl savagely dug her fangs into his neck. It was as though his neck was on fire. He screamed and screamed in agony, pain beginning to course through his whole body. His robe darkened in colour. His skin turned even paler. His teeth lengthened and sharpened, becoming fangs. His eyes looked sunken and lifeless as Roller Brawl finally released him. He stood up, looking down at himself.

"No! NO!" the now vampire Spell Punk shrieked in horror. "NOOOO! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, YOU MISERABLE SKYLANDER! YOU-!"

I think the only one paying for anything is _you_." Roller Brawl spat, pointing. The Spell Punk turned to see the Vampire's Bane before him. His eyes widened as the titanic figure raised his weapon above his head. The troublemaking mage started to back away nervously.

"N-n-no. You can't kill m-me! I summoned you! Without me, you'd still be locked away, p-p-perhaps forever! SHOW A LITTLE GRATITUDE, YOU VILE-!"

WIth a swishing sound and a sickening popping noise, the axe blade took the Spell Punk's head off his shoulders.

"No vampire stands in my way, no matter what." the Vampire's Bane stated, looking down at the severed head. "That's the way I- Wait, what's happening?! What-?"

In a cloud of shadow, the Vampire's Bane vanished, only it's weapon remaining. It fell to the ground with a clatter. The chains vanished from around Joshua and he slowly woke up from his bewitched slumber. Roller Brawl realised what had happened. With the one who had conjured the Vampire's Bane dead, the magic that kept it in Skylands had expired. It was sealed away again. All was well.

Josh stood up, looking around, realising that the enemy and Damien were gone. "What happened? Did we win?" he asked. "Where's Damien? What was wrong with him?"

Roller Brawl pulled him into a hug, tears flowing down her cheeks. "We won." she said softly, "But my brothers are still locked away. All of them."

_Later…_

"So, he was an impostor?" Josh asked back at the apartment.

"Yeah. I guess I should've figured." Roll said sadly. "Josh, do you think I'll _ever_ find my brothers?"

"No."

Roll looked at him, shocked.

"_You_ won't, but _we_ will." He said, smiling. Roll smiled back. The pair hugged, Joshua closing his eyes and patting the Skylander on the back gently.

"You're a good friend, Josh."

"You too, Roll."

"Now… hold still while I drink your blood!" Roller Brawl cried suddenly, swinging him around so that the side of his neck was in front of her face. He cried out in alarm as Roll's fangs extended.

"Roll, what're you doing?!" he shrieked, terrified.

Roll retracted her fangs, grinning mischievously.

"Just messing with you." she said, playfully tussling his hair. "Come on, let's go out and get some lunch. I had you going, though. You should've seen the look on your face…"

**Well, that chapter kind of wrote itself. I wasn't sure where to go with it at first, but then it just flowed into the whole betrayal thing, and I think I just forgot about Pop Fizz about half way through. Anyway, Hope you thought it was good. Stay tuned for more.**


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